How to go about finding a photographer?

[AndreFuture]

So my bathroom mirror selfies have outlived their usefulness and I'm confident I want to continue in this business, 7 months later (has it been that long?!). I'm ready to invest more money into getting proper pictures done, but I'm not sure how to go about finding an appropriate photographer that can also work with my particular situation and needs:

 

First, I'm aware of the benefits of having my face visible in terms of boosting client's confidence/interest, but I would like pictures without my face.

 

Second, while I've been on testosterone for a few years now, I'm still female bodied (obviously so with my clothes off) and would need a photographer comfortable with that.

 

And now some backstory for my third point: I googled "nude photographers DC" and discovered the genre of boudoir photography, which is essentially women taking erotic photos for their significant other. This sounded like the most reasonable option for me; however, this one particular company described their services as for "deeply personal gift for someone special, or a model seeking to build or improve your portfolio."

 

This gets to my third point: I would imagine me not wanting my face shown would raise some questions as to why I'd want these pictures in the first place. If I had a significant other, he would likely want to see my face, and if I was taking these photos for a modeling portfolio, it would also behoove me to have my face to prove it is in fact me. If I go approach these photographers with my faceless requirements, will it basically give me away? Are there photographers who are OK taking photos for people in this industry that you all can recommend in DC or nearby?

 

Thanks, and sorry for the length of this post.

 

Edit: Oh, and the most important question: what's the ballpark I should be expecting to pay for such services?

[nate_sf]

I'd suggest checking ModelMayhem for photographers in DC. You can search through the profiles, look at their work and see which ones might be a good match. You could set up a profile with just a couple of photos of your own and describe what you're looking for. There is a box to click for "nude" so you can filter searches. And with a profile set up they may approach you too. I have a profile there, and about half the time I've approached the photographer and the other half they've approached me.

 

Some photographers will work on a trade basis, known as "TFP" (which stands for "Time For Prints" though nowadays it's digital files rather than prints). The best way to approach this is as a like-minded collaboration, where both you and the photographer have a similar vision. The downside is you may lose some creative control, and may need to sign a model release so won't have final control of the images.

 

If you hire a photographer, you should get control of the images. I've worked with a few photographers through ModelMayhem who charged anywhere from $200 to $500 for a couple of hours session. One guy I worked with offered the choice of either TFP where he kept the rights to the images, or $200 for the model to keep the rights. Of course there will be others who will charge more, but that would be the ballpark for someone who is experienced but not necessarily a big name.

 

In terms of not showing your face, you could crop the photos yourself, or ideally you'll find a photographer who would be willing to work with poses where you are turned away from the camera, or in shadow etc. Tell them what you have in mind - the photographers I've worked with have been really receptive to receiving suggestions.

 

Good to hear you are making a go of it! I hope these suggestions are helpful.

[+ WmClarke]

You could also take the digital images and blur your face before using them in ads. Just a thought.

[AndreFuture]

Thanks @nate_sf, that was very helpful!

 

@WmClarke, I'd rather the original images not have my face in them, since the photographer will also retain copies.

[AndreFuture]

@nate_sf, do you think it would be problematic to use the same photos on my escorting profiles to set up a MM profile? If anyone does a reverse image search they would come across those. Is that something I should even worry about?

[+ DERRIK]

Its important to get professional pics done

 

Nate certainly knows what he talking about

 

check out other professionals picture in DC - (both M and F)

 

Look for pictures in the style you prefer

 

inquire where/who they use

[+ Truereview]

So my bathroom mirror selfies have outlived their usefulness and I'm confident I want to continue in this business, 7 months later (has it been that long?!). I'm ready to invest more money into getting proper pictures done, but I'm not sure how to go about finding an appropriate photographer that can also work with my particular situation and needs:

 

First, I'm aware of the benefits of having my face visible in terms of boosting client's confidence/interest, but I would like pictures without my face.

 

Second, while I've been on testosterone for a few years now, I'm still female bodied (obviously so with my clothes off) and would need a photographer comfortable with that.

 

And now some backstory for my third point: I googled "nude photographers DC" and discovered the genre of boudoir photography, which is essentially women taking erotic photos for their significant other. This sounded like the most reasonable option for me; however, this one particular company described their services as for "deeply personal gift for someone special, or a model seeking to build or improve your portfolio."

 

This gets to my third point: I would imagine me not wanting my face shown would raise some questions as to why I'd want these pictures in the first place. If I had a significant other, he would likely want to see my face, and if I was taking these photos for a modeling portfolio, it would also behoove me to have my face to prove it is in fact me. If I go approach these photographers with my faceless requirements, will it basically give me away? Are there photographers who are OK taking photos for people in this industry that you all can recommend in DC or nearby?

 

Thanks, and sorry for the length of this post.

 

Edit: Oh, and the most important question: what's the ballpark I should be expecting to pay for such services?

Hey Andre, I could have sworn that @Jon Royce is a member of the forum and great photographer located in DC. I'm not sure if you two would be a match for the job but he can at least provide some perspective? I don't think it would hurt to ask him via PM?

[AndreFuture]

Thanks, @Truereview!

[nate_sf]

@nate_sf, do you think it would be problematic to use the same photos on my escorting profiles to set up a MM profile? If anyone does a reverse image search they would come across those. Is that something I should even worry about?

 

You bring up a good point. Generally it's good to not ever use the same photo in both an escort and non-escort profile, as at some point someone will do that reverse image search and put the two together. With most photo shoots you'll do three, four or more settings or groups of photos (for example, living room, bedroom, shower, outdoor), so you can decide to sort them and keep them separate for your different profiles.

 

That said, a MM profile offers some different approaches. One approach is to use the same name for your MM profile as your escort profile. You can call it a "stage name" and you'll find it's a pretty common practice. That's what I do. Also MM offers different privacy settings, including one that blocks search engines and another where only other MM members can see your profile. None of this is 100% fail-safe but makes it harder for someone to accidentally stumble on your other photos. And that again comes back to not using the same photos in different profiles.

[AndreFuture]

I ended up doing my own photo shoot I'm an amateur photographer and pretty handy with a camera. I finally found my old point and shoot today and got some decent-ish photos. Much better than a mirror selfie, but clearly lacking professional lighting. But I get to keep $100–$300 in my pocket.

 

Thanks again for your suggestions, everyone! And if you care to offer me advice on my new photos, please check them out on my Rentmen profile